Career and Education Opportunities for Sonographers in Ramapo, New York

Ramapo, New York provides a wide variety of opportunities, both career and educational, for sonographers. There are currently 3,670 jobs for sonographers in New York and this is projected to grow by 16% to about 4,240 jobs by 2016. This is not quite as good as the nation as a whole, where employment opportunities for sonographers are expected to grow by about 18.3%. In general, sonographers produce ultrasonic recordings of internal organs for use by physicians.

Sonographers earn approximately $30 hourly or $62,500 per year on average in New York. Nationally they average about $29 per hour or $61,980 per year. Sonographers earn more than people working in the category of Healthcare Technical generally in New York and more than people in the Healthcare Technical category nationally. Sonographers work in a variety of jobs, including: ultrasonographer, echo tech , and sonogram technician.

The Ramapo area is home to 136 schools of higher education, including six within twenty-five miles of Ramapo where you can get a degree as a sonographer. The most common level of education for sonographers is an Associate's, or other 2-year degree. You can expect to spend about two years studying to be a sonographer if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Sonographer

Sonographer video from the State of New Jersey Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development

In general, sonographers produce ultrasonic recordings of internal organs for use by physicians.

Sonographers decide on appropriate apparatus settings and adjust patient positions to obtain the best sites and angles. They also observe and care for patients throughout examinations to insure their safety and comfort. Equally important, sonographers have to ready patient for exam by explaining procedure, transferring them to ultrasound table, scrubbing skin and applying gel, and positioning them properly. They are often called upon to furnish sonograms and oral or written summaries of technical findings to physicians for use in medical diagnoses. They are expected to decide which images to include, looking for differences between healthy and pathological areas. Finally, sonographers furnish sonograms and oral or written summaries of technical findings to physicians for use in medical diagnoses.

Every day, sonographers are expected to be able to articulate ideas and problems. They need to listen to and understand others in meetings. It is also important that they see details at a very fine level of focus.

It is important for sonographers to observe screen during scan to insure that image produced is satisfactory for diagnostic purposes, making adjustments to apparatus as required. They are often called upon to operate ultrasound apparatus to produce and record images of the motion, shape and composition of blood, organs, tissues and bodily masses such as fluid accumulations. They also process and code film from procedures and complete appropriate documentation. They are sometimes expected to perform medical procedures such as administering oxygen, inserting and removing airways, taking vital signs, and giving emergency treatment, such as first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Somewhat less frequently, sonographers are also expected to maintain records that include patient data, sonographs and interpretations, files of correspondence, publications and regulations, or quality assurance records such as pathology or post-operative reports.

Sonographers sometimes are asked to clean, check and maintain sonographic apparatus, submitting maintenance requests or performing minor repairs as needed. They also have to be able to decide whether the scope of exams should be extended, on the basis of findings and direct work with physicians and other health care team members, including providing assistance during invasive procedures. And finally, they sometimes have to maintain records that include patient data, sonographs and interpretations, files of correspondence, publications and regulations, or quality assurance records such as pathology or post-operative reports.

Like many other jobs, sonographers must be thorough and dependable and have exceptional integrity.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in Ramapo include:

Cardiac Technician. Conduct tests on pulmonary or cardiovascular systems of patients for diagnostic purposes. May conduct or assist in electrocardiograms, cardiac catheterizations, pulmonary-functions, lung capacity, and similar tests.

Surgical Technician. Assist in operations, under the supervision of surgeons, registered nurses, or other surgical personnel. May help set up operating room, prepare and transport patients for surgery, adjust lights and equipment, pass instruments and other supplies to surgeons and surgeon's assistants, hold retractors, and help count sponges, needles, and instruments.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Sonographer Training

Micro Tech Training Center - Belleville, NJ

Micro Tech Training Center, 251 Washington Ave, Belleville, NJ 07109. Micro Tech Training Center is a small school located in Belleville, New Jersey. It is a private for-profit school with primarily 2-year programs and has 250 students. Micro Tech Training Center has a two to four year program in Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer & Ultrasound Technician which graduated four students in 2008.

Sanford-Brown Institute - White Plains, NY

Sanford-Brown Institute, 333 Westchester Avenue, White Plains, NY 10604. Sanford-Brown Institute is a small school located in White Plains, New York. It is a private for-profit school with primarily 2-year programs and has 149 students. Sanford-Brown Institute has a two to four year program in Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer & Ultrasound Technician which graduated forty-seven students in 2008.

Ramapo College of New Jersey - Mahwah, NJ

Ramapo College of New Jersey, 505 Ramapo Valley Rd, Mahwah, NJ 07430-1680. Ramapo College of New Jersey is a medium sized college located in Mahwah, New Jersey. It is a public school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 5,847 students and an admission rate of 49%. Ramapo College of New Jersey has a bachelor's degree program in Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, & Treatment Professions, Other Specialties which graduated one student in 2008.

Hohokus School-RETS Nutley - Nutley, NJ

Hohokus School-RETS Nutley, 103 Park Ave, Nutley, NJ 07110. Hohokus School-RETS Nutley is a small school located in Nutley, New Jersey. It is a private for-profit school with primarily less-than 2-year programs and has 420 students. Hohokus School-RETS Nutley has a less than one year program in Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer & Ultrasound Technician which graduated forty-two students in 2008.

Bergen Community College - Paramus, NJ

Bergen Community College, 400 Paramus Rd, Paramus, NJ 07652-1595. Bergen Community College is a large college located in Paramus, New Jersey. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 15,283 students. Bergen Community College has an associate's degree program in Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer & Ultrasound Technician which graduated eleven students in 2008.

Eastwick College - Ramsey, NJ

Eastwick College, 10 South Franklin Turnpike, Ramsey, NJ 07446-2551. Eastwick College is a small college located in Ramsey, New Jersey. It is a private for-profit school with primarily 2-year programs. It has 674 students and an admission rate of 97%. Eastwick College has a one to two year and a two to four year program in Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer & Ultrasound Technician which graduated ninety-nine and forty-two students respectively in 2008.

CERTIFICATIONS

Registered Technologist - Sonography:
The purpose of the ARRT Examination in Sonography is to assess the knowledge and cognitive skills underlying the intelligent performance of the tasks typically required of staff sonographers at entry into the profession.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Ramapo, New York

Ramapo, New York photo by Mwanner

Ramapo is situated in Rockland County, New York. It has a population of over 115,096, which has grown by 5.7% in the past ten years. The cost of living index in Ramapo, 150, is far greater than the national average. New single-family homes in Ramapo are valued at $187,300 on average, which is well below the state average. In 2008, one hundred seventy-four new homes were built in Ramapo, down from two hundred fourteen the previous year.

The three most popular industries for women in Ramapo are health care, educational services, and professional, scientific, and technical services. For men, it is educational services, professional, scientific, and technical services, and construction. The average commute to work is about 33 minutes. More than 34.5% of Ramapo residents have a bachelor's degree, which is higher than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 15.1%, is higher than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Ramapo is 6.6%, which is less than New York's average of 8.7%. About 16.3% of Ramapo's residents are below the poverty line, which is worse than the state average.

The percentage of Ramapo residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 82.9%, is more than both the national and state average. Wesley Chapel and Saint Vincent De Paul Church are all churches located in Ramapo. The most prominent religious groups are the Catholic Church, the Muslim Estimate and the United Methodist Church.

Ramapo is home to the Kanes Open Camp and the Cedar Hollow Country Club.